Izzy enjoys a snow day in one of Bend’s parks. The city is home to eight dog parks around town, with a ninth to come when the 37-acre Alpenglow Park opens in southeast Bend by early summer.

Perhaps it’s the changing season or my family’s plans to adopt a new dog this spring, but I see more dogs in Bend these days than in the past. When I’m out for a walk or run at lunch time, nearly 9 out of 10 other trail users are carrying a leash connected to a canine loved one.

The rule-follower in me greatly appreciates the leash adherence on my favorite trail, but I know that it is not a consistent practice across our community. At Bend Park and Recreation District, one of the most common complaints and pleas for help from community members relates to off-leash dogs.

Whether you’re a newcomer or you’ve called Bend home for decades, it’s a good idea to brush up on the do’s and don’ts of dog responsibility. We want everyone to enjoy parks and trails.

By ordinance, dogs are required to be on leash in any public area in the city of Bend except in designated off-leash areas. My friendly park steward colleagues spend a lot of time with reminders about the important safety reasons for leashing furry best friends. Our team even has dog treats to offer as a thank you to park users with leashed pets. As the weather warms, we ask for more help in resisting the urge to let dogs run across any open turf area.”

While it’s tempting to view all open grass areas as off-leash dog play areas, it’s not safe for other park users. Off-leash dogs can easily get in another user’s way on a trail and cause an accident or injuries. For people who are afraid or uncomfortable around dogs, an encounter with an off-leash dog can be terrifying. In addition, off-leash dogs can instigate aggression problems or fights with leashed dogs.

Bend has eight dog off-leash areas in local parks — find them at bendparksandrec.org. We’ll be adding another off-leash area when Alpenglow Community Park is open by early summer at SE 15th Street and Murphy Road, north of Caldera High School.

Please visit off-leash areas responsibly because not all dogs are good candidates for off-leash dog parks. If a dog has not had regular interaction with other dogs, it may lack the necessary social skills to make the visit safe and enjoyable. Just as a parent would not leave a young child unattended, watch your pet and monitor whom he/she is playing with and if their behavior is appropriate. Remain in sight and voice control of your dog at all times.

While we’re talking about kids and dogs, do not allow children to approach a dog without permission from the dog’s handler. Not all dogs who visit the dog park are socialized to children, and you would hate for a dog or a child to learn this the hard way.

Lastly, dog owners are asked to clean up after their dog. To help out, dog waste bags and trash receptacles are available at many Bend parks and trails. I recently witnessed a leashed dog take care of business right next to the dog dispenser, which was an extraordinarily considerate and convenient place for his owner. When we adopt our next dog, I will aim to teach it this amazing trick!

To play it safe for your dog and other park visitors, please keep the leash attached or visit one of the designated off-leash areas. You love ‘em, so leash ‘em.